AIBU to ask if bicycle towing a child carrier looks unbelievably unsafe?

[longwayoff]

I don't spend much time in traffic but noticed one of these the other day which made me feel a bit concerned. Today, the Mail has video of someone crossing 3 lanes of traffic with one attached. They look dangerous on so many levels. How can they be legal?

According to the police, it's absolutely fine, even if it's just an open wooden box, no framework, no hi vis, no seat, no harness.
As a child's key worker, I reported my concerns to the police. I was told to mind my own business.

They are massively unsafe in regard to the levels of pollution they expose kids to. They are getting a full dose of heavy particulates as well as noxious car fumes.

I read a study recently that showed that you are exposed to far more pollution/poorer air quality in a car in traffic than you are on a bike.

The decent ones (I haven't road tested them all) really aren't flimsy, ours would never have flipped on a kerb or stone...you would have struggled to push it over

When stationary, maybe, but if a trailer hits a kerb at a reasonable pace it may become unstable. Cars weighing tonnes can roll when they clip things.

I see one every morning weaving through traffic on a very busy road. A toddler and a school aged child, totally exposed in the back.
I wince looking at them but the father cycling looks his grandiose nose quite literally down on all us drivers as he weaves past!

When I see these on busy roads I do question the sanity of the parent. And the stupid fucking flag, is that meant to be some kind of totem against harm?

Madness.

Thats yes, maybe at cyclist level, but a exhaust level?

at

And the stupid fucking flag, is that meant to be some kind of totem against harm?

I know 🙈 even less use than a “baby on board” sticker!

They do look unsafe to me. And most of the kids I’ve seen in them don’t look particularly happy.

As I said, I wouldn't feel comfortable using one of these, but I do think a lot of these posts are basically an argument for us all driving around in gas-gazzling juggernauts of cars because keeping our DC as armoured as possible trumps any other concern - is that really what we want?

I wince looking at them but the father cycling looks his grandiose nose quite literally down on all us drivers as he weaves past!

That's in your head, though, isn't it? That's he's judging you and thinks he's superior? You've no idea what he's thinking!

@breadfingers yes, driving in London is not a pleasant experience. There are a few cycle ‘highways’ in London but I often see pedestrians/motorcycles using them and they never seem to be long enough to get anywhere. It’s even worse where I live with idiots cycling down single lane 60mph roads in peak hour traffic.

I live in a coastal town and the sea front has a long wide cycle path with a curb each side, that stretches about ten miles end to end, I see these on there , the nicest beach is about four miles out of town, with DC in helmets and think that's fine but wouldn't think it's safe in traffic

@breadfingers my friends have electric bikes and I have a massive jealous :D

@Aliceaforethought

I see them used every single day, all over the place, here in Denmark. I have used them many times myself.

At the speed you cycle, they just do not flip. They just don't. Fair enough the cycle lanes here are generally well-kept, but regardless, they're just too stable to risk flipping at cycling speed. Cars that flip are going at a considerable speed to achieve it.

I do think they would be dangerous on an actual road, but they are simply not dangerous on a cycle path. They're used all the time here, and although I'm sure there's one or two incidents you never hear about any fatal accidents.

I get that they look dangerous if you're not used to them, but when you see it in practice every single day... they're just not. They do not flip.

I've got one but there's no kids in it - we use it for cargo.

People are so angry - that's what scares me. Drivers calling cyclists stupid, irresponsible, cunts, insane... It's no wonder drivers in the UK treat cyclists so badly - they don't think we're really human. I'm not entirely surprised at the anecdote upthread about the driver who deliberately drove into a trailer (thinking it was cargo) and killed a child.

When we cycle, we're just people trying to get somewhere. People just like drivers. Some of us are annoying. Some are dangerous. Just like drivers. Have a bit of empathy, people!

YANBU. DH wanted to get one and I said absolutely no way. I see a man with one near the local School, it scares me to think of how vulnerable he is making his DC. Even drivers aren't safe in that area of town.

Of course cars kill more people, it's statistics. There are more cars on the road, so naturally more people will be killed by them.

I could say there are more accidents on cycle paths from bikes than cars. A daft comparison, but it would be statistically true, as there are obviously more bicycles on cycle paths than there are cars.

Do you honestly, really think that the only reason cars kill more people than bicycles is because there are more of them? You think that, per 1000, bikes are just as dangerous?

And I'm sure bikes are involved in more accidents than cars in cycle lanes. I bet that most fatal accidents on a cycle lane still involve a car (that shouldn't be there), though. Because cars are massively more dangerous than anything else that might be in a cycle lane.

Ah, what you’re describing sounds safe and ideal NewLevels. As I said above I used to do this myself on a cycle path (which was not part of a road.)

But if we’re talking use on roads in Britain, without cycle paths or where the cycle path is a narrow part at the side of the road, (essentially part of it) then that’s quite different. Yes, you’re right at cycling pace some may be difficult to flip, but flimsier ones may, and any of them, even if quite sturdy, are vulnerable to being struck by a car.

I don’t think anyone is saying cars are better. I think most on this thread would agree that these trailers are great, it’s just that on our roads, with current levels of traffic, they’re very dangerous for the little occupants.

The red flags are there to make them more visible but I guess a red flag could also make all those uptight angry drivers even more uptight and angry

So how does the trailer suddenly become safe on a cycle path and yet dangerous on the road?

You don't see a difference between a cycle path with no cars and a busy road?confused

Oh so the difference is the cars - so it’s the drivers that make it dangerous not the the actual trailer

So how do you make it safe? Get the drivers to driver carefully instead?
Or do you ban the trailers as the drivers aren’t safe?

Should we ban walking on the pavement as so many pedestrians are killed walking on the pavement by drivers who don’t take care

There seems to be a mindset here of to make something safe and to make sure your child is alive the best thing is to ignore the real danger - ban the vulnerable road user

If you're all so worried about how dangerous they are, how's about you find a different mode of transport yourself. Let's collectively make our roads safer. Or we could just continue to sneer at people who do things differently.

@GregoryPeckingDuck These are what we have. Nice and easy.

@Damntheman I can't imagine without now. It's great.

Ivy yes, of course it's the bloody cars that are dangerous! But whether we like it or not they're there, so we have to protect our children from the dangers of them.

I don't think anyone mentioning banning anything, but pedestrians make a CHOICE to go about their business on foot. Tiny children in a trailer on a busy road haven't done so.